The Little Things

Product Information

The story starts slow and it will sound like it's just another teen drama. But. Yes, keep on reading the book. First, because the characters are convincing and the writing doesn't make anything boring. Did I just mention that word? Because it doesn't fit here. I had a bit of a hard time trying to understand Rachel's carefree approach to parenting. I could not understand her blasé attitude towards Vivian even when there was hard evidence that she was going through something. Her idea is to move and have a fresh start. Without her mother to talk to she settles down to life with her daughter, now aged 15. This was Sarah Lawton's debut, and a fantastic one at that. Is it just me or 2021 is being a phenomenal year for new authors in the suspense genre?

The audio narration was expertly and professionally done. I like that Andrews while narrating the audiobook included a few whimsical statements relating only to audiobook listeners; not a part of the book. He includes areas where he felt punctuation does not express well his intentions, and this can be added (and it is) in this audiobook version via his expression. Being a professional speaker, the narration was well-done and Andrews adds inflection to his work, which is not a surprise being he is the book’s author. He tells us that most people live their entire lives without ever thinking beyond what they have come to believe is true. But it is a valuable person who manages to see a new way of thinking as an opportunity. He encourages us to not always believe everything we think. To do so will be the end of any exponential growth you might have experienced in your life. To begin to compete at a different level, he encourages us to examine our thinking, especially about how things are done in our industry—and realizing we can’t always believe everything we think.

Paperback

Seriously dark and with tensions that keep mounting, with that deep nagging feeling that something is not all that it seems here. The first part of the book I did (briefly) wonder if this was going to be for me as it concentrated on the complex relationships and friendships between teenage girls but soon the full extent of the plot started to be revealed.

But I peaced out HARD around chapter 3, when he makes a valid point about not taking offense about things, and being able to control your own behavior regardless of your own emotions. Yes, that's good advice and I agree. Rachel is an artist and illustrator and when a talented student approaches her for lessons she finds herself attracted to him all the while trying to remain professional. Emma Dodd's illustration and book design always feel very special, and The Little Things makes gorgeous use of gold foil throughout, which is sure to enthral little ones and could also make this book a very nice gift.To my friends; get this book please? To one never met; it might just be you that God wants to read/hear this.

Initially what starts off as a normal teenage rebellion, soon escalates into something more disturbing and creepy. It doesn’t take much to figure out that Vivian is very manipulative and takes advantage of Rachel’s rather carefree attitude towards parenting. As you and I navigate the rest of our lives and help others understand how to successfully navigate their own, we must be aware that opening our hearts and minds to reality is a necessary part of being able to live each day with proper perspective. Please be aware: a person who obstinately chooses blindness is a dangerous step or two beyond mere pessimistic perspective. A gloomy way of seeing things is only a walk along an unguarded cliff. Choosing not to see the cliff at all, however, can be the end of everything. Where to even start!!! I finished this a couple of days ago but tried to get my head around the whole nightmare scenario. A great debut novel by Sarah Lawton Successful people are never compared to others, in fact they compete with themselves, they make a comparison with their own potential.

Mum Rachel and daughter Vivian moved away from London to get a fresh start. Or so they think. You find out later on in the book why they moved, and even more later on what really happened. Rachel knows that Vivian is a challenging girl, she always has been. But she seems naive to what Vivian is really like and only discovers this much later. Far too late.

The suspense builds up gradually and the crimes and events are revealed gradually. Now I have finished the book I can say that I enjoyed it and can appreciate the build up of the story, but around half way I was getting a little bogged down with the book . The voices of the teenage Vivian and her mother do ring true. their relationship is fairly disjointed and you hear from both about this. Some chapters are set in the past and although you know that an event has taken place which preceded the move, it is not until later on that you know what actually happened. Vivian , especially comes to self realisation in the book. This was certainly more of a character's story than a plot driven one. It's not full of twists and turns but more of a slow burn drama of a really toxic mother/daughter relationship. Although I guessed the reveal quite early on, the fantastic depiction of both main characters kept me in suspense until the explosive ending. Soon it becomes clear that their relationship is like a train waiting to derail, so you can't help being in tension the whole time, cause when it derails you know it's gonna be in a spectacular fashion. Other gems: A small deviation from "true" leads to a big difference over time. A decision made today may not be all that important today, but it might have huge repercussions later in life. Ask questions and seek real answers, even to small, everyday things. "Only a fool believes everything he thinks." There is almost always a benefit to learning something new. "Average" is not something to strive for. Sometimes something small is the only clue that something is wrong. As the story went on it kept getting darker and more twisted. Vivian is a character I will not forget in a really long time!Listened to the audiobook, read by the author who has a very enthusiast male American voice and excited tone, suitable for x2 speed and commuting. I absolutely loved this story, but I did not love the characters. I felt so bad for Rachel the mother, dealing with a teenage daughter that seems so unable to love or show love or empathy or anything. I really felt for her and could only imagine what that would do to a mother. You love your children more than anything in the world, but what about if that child is so not nice? The chapters are short. I think it took less than 3 hours to read the book - a far greater investment in myself than driving to the movie theater and watching the latest Hollywood release! You can know HOW to apply a principle, and that’s a mighty good thing. But when you know WHY that certain principle works as it does, you can apply it in contrasting areas of life that seem to have no connection to one another. And those businesses, those communities, those families grow and thrive as never before.” (c) He asks what are the “things” that create the life of our dreams, and states that it is really the small stuff. Small, strategic moves in the beginning of any endeavor yield massive growth down the road.